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Fix Microsoft Forms Quiz Results Missing Total Points in Excel
Question details
Users need to resolve an issue where the Total Points column is completely missing when exporting Microsoft Forms quiz results to an Excel spreadsheet.
- Product
- Microsoft Forms / Microsoft Excel
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Exporting graded quiz results from Microsoft Forms to an Excel file for further grading analysis and record-keeping.
- Observed behavior
- The exported Excel file omits the Total Points column, even though earlier exports from the same form or tenant successfully included it.
Ensure that your Microsoft Forms quiz has been fully graded and that you have the appropriate permissions to view and post respondents' scores before generating a new data export.
Verify and Post Quiz Scores
Ensure all quiz submissions are fully graded and scores are finalized, as unposted scores may prevent the Total Points column from generating correctly in the export.
Sometimes the Total Points column is omitted if the system registers the quiz grading as incomplete. Finalizing the scores forces the platform to calculate and lock in the totals.
Navigate to Microsoft Forms and open the specific quiz that you are trying to export.
Click on the 'Responses' tab located at the top of the quiz design page.
Click on 'Post scores', review the grades to ensure everything is correct, and confirm to finalize the results.
Click 'Open in Excel' to download a fresh copy of the results and check if the Total Points column is now present.
Contact Microsoft 365 Administrator for Backend Support
If posting scores does not resolve the missing column, the issue is likely a backend service disruption affecting your specific tenant that requires Microsoft Support intervention.
Easily Analyze Your Form Exports with WPS Office
Because the missing Total Points column in Microsoft Forms is often a backend Microsoft issue, you cannot fix the export generator itself. However, once you download your Excel file, you can easily open, edit, and manually calculate your quiz totals using WPS Office—a free, lightweight alternative with flawless compatibility for Microsoft file formats.
- 1. Install WPS Office: Download and install the free WPS Office suite on your computer or mobile device.
- 2. Open the export: Launch WPS Spreadsheets and open the downloaded .xlsx file from Microsoft Forms.
- 3. Calculate missing totals: Insert a new column and use the SUM function to quickly add up individual question scores for each respondent.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the Total Points column missing from my newly exported Excel file?
This is often caused by a known Microsoft backend service issue affecting specific organizational tenants. It may also occur if the quiz scores have not been properly posted or finalized within the Forms dashboard before exporting.
Can I manually calculate the total points in Excel if the column is missing?
Yes. While waiting for a backend fix, you can insert a new column in your downloaded Excel spreadsheet and use the standard SUM function to add the individual question score columns for each respondent.
Does this issue happen on both the web and desktop versions of Excel?
Yes. The missing column is an issue with the actual data file generated by Microsoft Forms during the export process, meaning the column will be missing regardless of whether you open the resulting file in Excel for the Web, the Excel desktop app, or alternative software like WPS Office.
